TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY TERMS & CONDITIONS

An injury which:

      1.      is caused by an accident;
      2.      is caused solely and directly by visible violent, external means;
In respect of Personal Accident as above and
      3.      results in a loss of, or loss of the use of, one or more limbs or loss of all sight in
              one or both eyes, or death, directly and independently of all other causes. This does not
              include any sickness, disease or naturally occurring conditions or gradually operating or
              degenerative process.

A business partner, director or employee.

Computer equipment, (including laptop computers, hardware and software, peripherals and PDAs), communication devices, (including mobile phones). This includes stocks and samples, and other business related equipment which you need in the course of your business, and is not covered elsewhere.

A loss or collision damage waiver, top up liability or similar type of insurance waiver, offered by a licensed car rental agency or company in respect of a rental vehicle.

The aircraft, coach, ship or train operator, and their employees and agents.

Your spouse, or partner (with whom you have been living for at least six months and with whom you are still living), grandmother, grandfather, mother, stepmother, mother-in-law, father, stepfather, father-in-law, sister, stepsister, sister-in-law, brother, stepbrother, brother-in-law, daughter, stepdaughter, daughter-in-law, son, stepson, son-in-law, granddaughter, grandson, legal guardian, or the fiancé(e) of any person insured under this Policy.

Great Britain, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands.

Cutting short your trip outside your country of departure by returning home due to an emergency authorised by us.

You and any member of the party travelling with you insured under an American Express Travel Insurance Policy and who is named on the rental agreement as an authorised driver of the rental vehicle.

The first £50 for each insured person under your Policy, for every incident of loss applying to each section of cover under which a claim is made. This means that if you claim for something under a section of the Policy for which excess is to be deducted, you will personally be financially responsible for the first £50 for each insured person's claim. You may choose to pay an additional premium to purchase the Excess Waiver Option(not available on Gap policies). Having purchased the Excess Waiver Option you will no longer be personally financially responsible for the excess when submitting a claim (other than a claim made for Group A or Group B Special Sports and Activities - please see note below). You cannot opt to purchase the Excess Waiver Option when you are actually aware of a potential claim, or in a claims situation.

Please also note the following:

A higher excess of £200 will apply to any claim under the Medical Emergency and Repatriation Service, where you have been taking part in any Group A or Group B Special Sports and Activities. This higher excess cannot be reduced or deleted by use of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or by having purchased the Excess Waiver Option.

You, your spouse, or partner (with whom you have been living for at least six months and with whom you are still living) and your, or their, children who are under 18 years old on the first day of cover with the exception of Prestige Policies where children must be under 21 years of age.

European Cover:

The following countries are included within the definition of Europe: Albania; Andorra; Austria; Azores; Balearics; Belarus;Belgium; Bulgaria; Canary Islands; Channel Islands; Corsica; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Israel; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Madeira; Malta; Moldova; Monaco; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Republic of Ireland; Romania; Russia west of the Ural Mountains; San Marino; Sardinia; Sicily; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; and the United Kingdom area*.

Worldwide Cover:
All countries worldwide including the United Kingdom area*

Worldwide Cover excluding North America and the Caribbean:
All countries worldwide including the United Kingdom area* but excluding North America and the Caribbean

North America
The United States of America and Canada.

The Caribbean
Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Jamaica; Martinique; Montserrat; Navassa Island; Netherlands Antilles; Puerto Rico; Saint Barthelemy; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; the US Virgin Islands; and includes cruising in waters around these islands.

*Please refer to - Important Notes about your Policy - for limitations which apply to trips solely within the United Kingdom area

The following items owned, entrusted to, or hired by you: golf clubs, golf bags, golf umbrellas, non-motorised trolleys, golf shoes and golf clothing.

Club membership or subscription fees.

The place where you normally live in the United Kingdom area and use for domestic purposes.

The most we will pay you in any period of insurance is the amount shown under each section of Cover.

Being totally blind in one eye or partly losing the sight in one eye, so that objects which should be clear from 60 feet away can only be seen at three feet away or less using that eye, or being totally blind and added to the Register of Blind Persons by a fully qualified eye specialist.

Complete and permanent loss of use of, or physical severance of a limb at or above the wrist or ankle.

Work which involves the installation, assembly, maintenance, repair, or use of electrical, mechanical or hydraulic plant (other than in a purely managerial/supervisory, sales or administrative capacity) or manual labour of any kind other than in the catering industry or fruit picking by hand.

A bodily injury or sudden and unforeseen illness suffered by you while you are on a trip outside your country of departure and a registered medical practitioner tells you that you need immediate medical treatment or medical attention.

Sterling and foreign currency, cheques, postal and money orders, gift vouchers, travel tickets, hotel and other holiday vouchers, petrol coupons, Green Card, passports, ski lift pass, together with the wallet, purse or similar article in which these items are carried, whilst:

• carried by you about your person (in an item of clothing you are wearing or in a container which you are holding or which is attached to you); or
• left in a locked safety deposit box.

The United States of America and Canada.

Items of Personal Baggage forming part of a set or which are normally used together.

The period to which the insurance applies and for which you have paid, or have agreed to pay the appropriate premium. This period and the premium payable is shown on your Certificate of Insurance. Please note that cover for cancellation will start from when you take out this Policy, and cease when you have started your trip.

Cover under all the other sections applies for the length of your trip unless it is further qualified under a specific section.

Extension to the period of insurance

If your return journey to your country of departure is unavoidably delayed because of something which is covered under your Policy, we will automatically extend your cover for the period of the delay at no additional cost. If you book a trip during the current period of insurance and have paid or agreed to pay for it, where the departure date is after the renewal date of your Policy, cancellation cover will continue in force on condition that you if eligible renew the Policy when renewal falls due and your premium is paid.

Disability which completely prevents you from doing work of any kind and after 12 months there is no hope of any improvement.

Accidental bodily injury caused solely and directly by outward and violent, visible means.

Items usually carried or worn by travellers (including valuables but excluding Money) taken on, or purchased on, a trip by you for your individual use during your trip.

Any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapour, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste. Waste includes materials to be recycled, reconditioned and reclaimed.

Any condition for which you:

1. have attended a hospital as an in-patient in the last 12 months;
2. are on a waiting list for an operation, consultation or investigation;
3. within the last three months, have commenced or changed prescribed medication or treatment;
4. require a medical, surgical or psychiatric check-up every 12 months or more frequently;
5. have been given a terminal prognosis;
6. know of any reason whatsoever, which may necessitate any trip to be cancelled or curtailed.

If you are aware of any pre-existing medical condition(s) these must be declared to American Express Insurance Services on 0800 028 7578, and accepted for cover. Certain medical conditions may be excluded from cover.

Includes the following forms of transport: aircraft; bus; coach; pre-booked taxi; sea vessel; and train.

The automobile rented from a licensed rental agency or company, being a land motor vehicle designed for travel principally on public roads.

The primary insurance held by a licensed car rental agency or company in respect of the rental vehicle covering risks such as third party fire and theft rental vehicle.

The insurer(s) who underwrites the rental vehicle insurance

Group A
The following Special Sports and Activities are only covered if you have paid the appropriate additional premium but any claim made under the Medical Emergency and Repatriation Service Section will be subject to an excess of £200:

American football; bungee jumping; flying (other than as a fare-paying passenger in a licensed passenger-carrying aircraft); hang gliding; martial arts; microlighting; mountain biking off tarmac; mountaineering; motor rallies; parachuting; paragliding; polo; potholing; quad biking; rock climbing; rugby; Tour Operator safari (where you, or any other tourist, will be carrying guns); white-water canoeing; yachting more than 20 nautical miles from the nearest coastline. When you have paid the Special Sports and Activities Option premium you will be covered while taking part in the following hazardous activities: bobsleigh; heli-skiing; ice hockey; luge; paraskiing; skeleton; ski jumping; ski racing; and ski stunting.

Group B
The following sports and activities are automatically covered without any payment of additional premium but any claim made under the Medical Emergency and Repatriation Service Section will be subject to an excess of £200: (With the exception of the Essential Policy, where no cover is available) abseiling; baseball; canoeing; clay pigeon shooting; deep sea fishing; fell running; go-karting; hockey; horse riding; hot air ballooning; jetbiking; jetskiing; parascending; scuba diving deeper than 30 metres; skidoo; trekking; war games/paintball; white-water rafting.

Group C
The following sports and activities are not covered by your Policy under any circumstances: boxing; canyoning: cave diving; hunting; professional sports; horse jumping; hunting on horseback; steeplechasing; solo mountain climbing; any form of motor racing, speed, performance, or endurance tests; solo caving; solo diving; any organised team sports or organised competitions listed under Group A (with the exception of American football, polo, or rugby).

Please also note the following:

1. The above lists are not exhaustive and if the sport or activity you want to do is not listed, please contact American Express Insurance Services on 0800 700 707 for advice.
2. Because of the increased risk of injury to you or caused by you to other people, there is no cover under the Personal Accident Section and the Personal Liability Section for any of the Group A, B or C Special Sports and Activities.

Any form of industrial action which is carried out with the intention of stopping, restricting or interfering with the production of goods or provision of services.

Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Jamaica; Martinique; Montserrat; Navassa Island; Netherlands Antilles; Puerto Rico; Saint Barthelemy; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; the US Virgin Islands; and includes cruising in waters around these islands.

Any type of surgical or medical procedure which is carried out solely to cure or relieve an unforeseen illness or injury.

A journey within the geographical limits shown on you Certificate of Insurance, which starts and ends in your country of departure during the period of insurance and which does not exceed the maximum number of days shown on your Certificate of Insurance. If your planned journey exceeds these limits then no cover whatsoever will apply in respect of that journey, and you will need to buy alternative insurance for the whole of that journey. Please contact American Express Insurance Services on 0800 028 7573 for more information.

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

Jewellery, precious metals or precious stones or items made from precious metals or precious stones, watches, furs, leather articles, personal mobile phones, binoculars, telescopes, electronic/audio/video or photographic equipment, MP3 players, and games consoles.

Viator (of 3rd Floor, Lanchester House, Trafalgar Place, Brighton BN88 1ZA, the UK branch of Forsakringsaktiebolaget Viator, an American Express Company (corporate identity no: 516401-8235. Registered address: 106 82 Stockholm, Sweden).Viator is authorised and regulated in Sweden by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of UK business. Branch Registration Number: BR005456. Registered in England and Wales), their agent, and/or their service provider.

On- and off-piste skiing, on- and off-piste snowboarding, snowblading, tobogganing, mono-skiing, glacier skiing, and outdoor ice skating on a recognised public ice rink. Skidoo is also covered but is subject to an increased excess of £200 and no Personal Accident or Personal Liability cover is available. Not available to anyone aged over 69 years, taking part in Winter Sports for the first time.

Age, geographical and cover duration limits apply.

Skis, snowboards, ski boots, and ski equipment (not clothing).

The person(s) named on your Certificate of Insurance who live(s) in the United Kingdom area, and at the start of the period of insurance has complied with our medical assessment procedure, and for whom the appropriate premium has been paid.